Finishing Touches Preparing the Surface

Removing the Dust

After sanding, brush or vacuum most of the sawdust from the surface of your project. Then give it a thorough rub-down with a tack cloth to remove any remaining dust, dirt or abrasive particles, leaving a perfectly clean surface. Tack cloths are inexpensive and are readily available at hardware stores and home centers. Or, if you prefer, you can make your own by soaking a piece of cheesecloth in a mixture of varnish and turpentine…or by sprinkling some of the actual finish you're planning to use on a piece of cheesecloth until it becomes “sticky”.

Whenever you perform touch-up sanding during subsequent finishing operations, always be sure to wipe your surfaces with a tack cloth. This simple practice -- keeping your project clean and dust-free as you go -- is perhaps the most important step to achieving a high-quality, long-lasting finish.

Filling the Pores

Few projects will be perfectly smooth when you've finished scraping and sanding. Like your skin, wood has tiny pores -- open spaces between the grain. If you build your projects from closed-grain woods such as maple, cherry or pine, a coat or two of sanding sealer will fill these spaces nicely. You can make your own sealer for this job by mixing one part alcohol to one part shellac. Apply the sealer, allow two hours drying time, then lightly sand with extra fine (220 to 280 grit) sandpaper.

Open grained woods with clearly visible pores such as oak, mahogany or walnut will require an application of wood filler. Mix your filler with stain or dye to make it lighter, darker, or to match the color of your wood. Brush it on with the grain, then brush a second time against the grain. As you go, work the filler into the wood grain with the palm of your hand. Do a small area at a time (filler sets-up in 15 to 30 minutes). Before it sets completely, wipe off the excess with a coarse cloth (such as burlap), then follow-up with a fine cloth, being careful to remove all the residue without rubbing too hard. Allow 24 hours for drying, then apply a wash coat of shellac and alcohol over the filler, followed by another light sanding.

Don't use sanding sealer or a wash coat if you're planning to apply a stain or oil later on, as these materials will keep penetrating finishes from penetrating the wood. Instead, apply them after the stain or oil. Some woodworkers mix shellac with oil to make a material that will fill and finish in a single, easy step.

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